Kerry Wan/ZDNET
If you’re a T-Mobile customer — or were back in 2021 — you might have a check showing up in your mailbox soon.
In 2021, the mobile carrier suffered a massive data breach that affected around 76 million customers (this isn’t related to the 2023 breach that affected 37 million people). T-Mobile denied any wrongdoing but agreed to settle a lawsuit about the breach out of court.
Four years later, affected customers are getting compensation.
Payments were supposed to start in April, but T-Mobile recently updated its settlement site to read “Due to unexpected delays, we now expect the distribution of settlement payments to begin in May 2025.”
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If you suffered financial loss from the incident, you might receive up to $25,000. If you didn’t suffer any loss, even if you didn’t file a claim in the suit, you can receive up to $25 (except California residents, who will receive up to $100). While those are the maximum amounts, a quick crunch of the numbers — a $350 million settlement divided between 76 million people — works out to about $4.50 a person, and that’s before attorney fees.
If you were part of the settlement, you should have received notice. If you’re unsure if the breach affected you, the suit page has an FAQ section detailing how to find out. You can also call 1-833-512-2314 for more information.
While no sensitive information like payment data was accessed in the 2023 breach, T-Mobile says, the 2021 breach saw names, addresses, social security numbers, driver’s licenses, and ID information accessed by unauthorized people. Given the rise in identity theft over the past several years, the latter is especially concerning.
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Even if you weren’t part of this breach, it’s important to take steps to make sure you’re not a part of the next one – like monitoring your credit with an identity theft protection service like Aura or Norton Lifelock.
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